Administrative Specialist

Do you want to utilize your administrative skills to assist the Department of Community Development in offering professional and courteous customer service? If so, this Administrative Specialist position may be the right career for you! The Administrative Specialist position is a full-time role with benefits and a preferred hiring range of $15.66 - $18.01 per hour (equivalent to $32,572 - $37,460 annually). The ideal candidate for this position will enjoy significant public/employee interaction while performing a variety of administrative duties, including preparing and maintaining appropriate files and records.

As the Administrative Specialist, you'll support the following divisions within the department in addition to providing other related office-wide administrative and customer service tasks:

Engineering: Respond to inquiries from the public regarding comprehensive site plan review requirements and procedures; Review Preliminary Fire Review and Comprehensive Site Plan Review applications for completeness and acceptability of documentation; Coordinate and track departmental reviews, compile review comments, and coordinate with reviewers and designers as needed; Assist community members, property owners, builders, and contractors in understanding sitework permitting requirements; Provide administrative support to the Engineering Division in the processing of comprehensive site plan reviews, site plan acceptance, project maintenance, and associated documentation and records; Collect and process payment of fees, issue receipts, and maintain associated records; Collect and prepare data for records and reports.

Planning and Zoning: Respond to inquiries from the public regarding Planning and Zoning permits and process permit requests; Respond to inquiries from the public regarding the Zoning and Sign Ordinance, including zoning complaints, and Zoning Verification Letters; Respond to inquiries from the public regarding Homestays and Home Occupation Permits for Home Businesses; Collect and process payment of fees, issue receipts, and maintain associated records. Serve as Secretary to the Board of Zoning Appeals and Secretary to the Planning Commission, which includes preparing for virtual and physical meetings, recording, drafting meeting minutes, and occasional evening hours at least once per month; Provide administrative support in the preparation of reports; Compile, analyze, and query complex data using spreadsheets and the LAMA permit and violation processing system; Prepare and maintain associated files and records.

Permits and Inspections: Schedule inspections; Assist the Permit Technicians in the review of building permit applications for completeness and acceptability of documentation, issuance of approved building permit applications, and the review, approval, and issuance of select trade permits; Collect and process payment for permits, issue receipts, and maintain associated records.

A detailed list of the ideal candidate's knowledge, skills, and abilities is available in the Administrative Specialist class specification.

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum Requirements: High school diploma or GED with coursework in business, bookkeeping, accounting, or related field and moderate (1-3 years) experience providing specialized administrative support and office operations. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be used to meet this requirement. Availability to work Mondays through Fridays from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm with occasional evening hours at least once per month, as required. Valid driver's license. Click here to view the physical requirements for this position. Bilingual abilities are preferred for this position, and an annual stipend may be available for language proficiency, as determined by the City's third-party testing vendor. The selected candidate for this position will be subject to the following screenings and must receive satisfactory results: DMV record review; and Criminal background check.

The City provides an excellent benefits package including health insurance, retirement (VRS & MissionSquare), life insurance, paid leave and holidays. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability or veteran status. The City of Harrisonburg is an Equal Opportunity Employer.